Captian Christ: Bushwacked
by Alice Meri Fox
Summary: Captian Doctor Serenity Christ of the Firefly Tranquility, inadvertently joins the crew of Serenity with what's left of her crew mates. The combined crew sets itself against Revers and the Alliance when a wayward ship destroys Tranquilitys' engines.
1. Chapter 1

Bushwhacked

Chapter One

Two women stood in front of Badger as he went through the papers that littered his desk. Both women were heavier but still toned. Broad shoulders that had carried heavy gun's in the war showed the women's building annoyance.

"Well?" The taller of the two was impatient. Her brunet military hair cut was short enough to show the skin of her scalp making her look more like a man. "You got something or no?"

"Just hold your horses, little girl, it's here somewhere."

"Well then why can't you find it?" The shorter woman had a thick Southern United States accent that could be from Earth- that-was. Her auburn hair was tied back in a messy bun that bounced slightly as she tapped her foot.

"Because he's got a big ol' rats' nest on his desk. Can't find Jack," the taller said.

"Got it," Badger exclaimed holding up a piece of paper.

"Fantastic," the Southerner said taking the paper from him and walked out the door, leaving him to his disreputable business.

"Seren, wait up."

The other woman followed her out and 'Seren' turned to her. "Cass, go get the remaining supplies and then get back to the ship."

"Aye, Captain." And the other woman walked off.

'Seren' walked to the ramp of a Firefly class vessel and stopped short seeing a similar class vessel nearby. She checked the side of the one she stood in front of and noted that the 'Tranquility' needed a once over with paint and seal. Nodding as a short reminder, she walked up the ramp.

"Can I help you, mam?" A male voice came from the bottom of the ramp behind her.

"No," she said turning around to look at him before continuing, "but yours is on the other side of the way." She noted the woman and the bulky mercenary beside him. "This is my baby Tranquility, and she's about to take off."

A lanky man passed her up the ramp, very curly hair bouncing with his steps. "Captain, we're set and ready. Passengers waiting in the dining area."

"Thank you, Shepard; I'll be in as soon as Cass gets back. You go take your place. I wanna get out of here." The man nodded and disappeared into the ship. "Sorry 'bout that."

"No, no. Pardon us. Never seen another Firefly around here." He extended his hand out to her. "Captain Malcolm Reynolds."

"Captain Doctor Serenity Christ," she replied shaking his hand.

"You're a doctor too?"

She nodded her head as Cass made her way up the ramp with the four-wheeler. "Captain, we leaving?"

"Yeah, stow and lock up." Serenity turned her attention back to Mal. "Well, Malcolm, it was nice meeting you, but we must fly." She saluted as the ramp lifted and she disappeared behind it before the Firefly lifted off and flew away.

"Nice lady," Mal said looking to Zoe.

"Real purdy woman, Mal," Jayne said.

"Good name, sir," Zoe commented.

"Very good name, both hers and the ships." Mal paused in thought. "Summit of Tranquility. Not a very pretty battle, but we came out on top."

"You think she was there, sir?"

"I do seem to recall a Christ on the special commendations listing."

"She ain't got no coat," Jayne put in.

"Doesn't mean anything. Could be she never got one, or she doesn't look good in brown. Women are persnickety 'bout that. Any way we got our own business to get on with." Mal said walking to Serenity.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The klaxon alert sounded through the cargo hold where the entire crew was playing ball. Everyone stopped playing. Zoe spoke first. "Proximity alert. We must be coming up on something."

Wash stood there with the ball in his hands and looked at everyone else. "Oh, my God. What can it be? We're all doomed! Who's flying this thing?!" He looked to Mal and deadpanned, "Oh, right. That would be me," he shrugged, "back to work." He tossed Mal the ball and made his way up to the bridge with the proximity alert still going off.

He looked out the front window and saw two ships just standing there. One was spinning out of control while the other was a Firefly that simply sat dead. He sat forward in his chair to get a better look at the spinning ship before a person fell over the front window and scared him back in his seat, shaking the ship.

Mal ran for the bridge with everyone else behind him. "Wash, you having a stroke or something?"

"Hear enough."

"What happened?" Zoe went directly over to her husband as Mal looked at the two free floaters in front of them.

"Wuh de ma?" Jane asked leaning against the outer edge of the pilot control panel next to Sheppard Book.

"Anybody home?" Mal asked Wash

"I've been hailing them both, but if whoever's there is as healthy as the guy we just ran over…" He let the sentence trail off and looked to Mal before adding in, "I can't imagine anybody's gonna be picking up."

"Bring us in a little closer to them."

"Get you close enough to ring the doorbell." Wash said correcting course to do so.

"What is it?" Simon asked from the back of the group.

River stood just outside the doorway of the bridge. "It's ghosts."

"So," Mal said ignoring River as Wash maneuvered Serenity into place, "what do we figure? Transport ship?"

"Converted cargo hauler. Maybe a short-range scow." Wash said pointing out the derelict.

"You can see she don't wanna be parked like that." Kaylee said pointing at the wreck. "The port thrust's gone, and that's what's making her spin the way she is."

"A short-range vessel this far out into space?" Simon asked

"Retrofitted to carry passengers." Wash explained and Zoe continued.

"Travelers pick them up cheap at government auction. A few modifications and they serve well enough for a one way push to the outer planets."

"Settlers." Book commented.

"Cram 15, 20 families on a boat that size, you pack 'em in tight enough," Wash said.

"Families?" Inara asked from behind Book.

"Tell you what I think," Jayne said from his new place at the co-pilot's chair. "I figure that fella we run into did everyone on board. Killed 'em all. Then he decided to take a swim, see how fast his blood would boil out his ears."

"You're a very "up" person," Wash said looking over to Jayne.

"Shouldn't we report this," Book asked Mal.

"To who? The Alliance?" Mal looked at him with an amused face. "Right. They're gonna run right out here lickety-split and make sure these taxpayers are okay."

"Then we'll have too."

"If there's folks in need of any help, why aren't they beamin' no distress call?" Jayne asked.

"It's true," Zoe said "There's no beacon from either of them."

"Which means it's likely no one's looking to find them," Mal said almost quietly.

"All the more reason for us to do the right thing," Book said conscientiously to Mal.

"How's about you just say a prayer when we slide on by?" Jayne was acting more the devil on Mal's shoulder.

"Shall I remind you of the story of the Good Samaritan?"

"I'd rather you didn't. But we'll check 'em both out," Mal said making Jayne's head turn curiously. "Could be survivors, and if not, well, then no one's gonna mind if we see if there's not something of value they might've left behind."

"Yeah—No, uh, someone could be hurt," Jayne agreed hastily sitting up in his chair.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Wash jumped at the sound of the com unit picking up transmission. "Firefly Serenity, come in… This is Firefly Tranquility. Please respond." The voice on the other end sounded rough and tired.

"Sir, that's…" Zoe started.

"Serenity's ship." Mal said taking the communicator. "Wash open a channel." Wash did so and Mal spoke to Tranquility, "Tranquility this is Serenity, I'm Malcolm Reynolds. What's your ships status?"

"Hello, Reynolds, I'm Shepard. We're dead in the water. Only three of us left. We need medical help over here if you can spare it."

"We can spare it. Get your crew to the cargo bay and we'll come knocking."

"Yes sir. Tranquility out."

"Wash dock up to the Firefly. Zoe, Jayne, Simon, we're goin' over there."

Wash docked up with Tranquility and Mal, Zoe, Jayne, and Simon hurried through the air lock doors to the other ship. The cargo bay of the other ship looked as though it had seen a large fire recently.

Lying on the floor was Serenity with her head in Cass's lap, her stomach wrapped up tight with bloody bandages. Shepard knelt next to Cass as he gently whipped blood away from her head. Shepard stood when they got in. "Thank Gods. One of you a doctor?"

"I am," Simon said.

"What happened here?" Mal asked as Simon started work on Serenity.

"We were asleep." Serenity said tiredly. "Shepard was on watch on the bridge. Derelict crept up on our port side. Alert brought me and Cass up just before it hit us in the ass. Caused the engine to shut down and blew back into us. Caught fire. Sucked it out into space and we've been up on the bridge. Shepard went to look for the rest of our crew. They're gone." Her voice began to crack as she finished explaining.

"Try not to talk, miss," Simon shushed her. "Your abdomen is bleeding pretty badly." He turned to Mal and said, "We should get them back to the infirmary."

"We need our ICE bags, I'll go get them," Shepard said to Mal.

"Zoe, go with him. Get as much stuff as you can." Zoe nodded and followed Shepard to the crew quarters.

"Jayne, can you carry Serenity steady?" Simon asked looking up at the mercenary who nodded and picked her up.

"The cargo. It's in the stash. Bring that too," Serenity said to Mal weakly before she passed out in Jayne's arms.

Jayne brought Serenity aboard the ship and laid her on the bed in the infirmary. Simon came in after him supporting Cass as best as he could. He set her down on the secondary bed and went over to Serenity as everyone else gathered in the commons.

"Who are they?" Book asked Mal.

"The auburn is Captain Serenity Christ," Mal said to him as Zoe and Shepard returned to the ship and into the commons.

Shepard cut in saying, "I'm Matt Shepard and the taller woman in there is Cass Luna."

"Serenity?" Kaylee asked from her position on the stairs looking in on the women. "She's awfully pretty."

Cass made her way out to the commons. "Seren's always been a toughie. She may look pretty, act all cute and innocent, but in reality…"

"She could kill you and bring you back to life with a paper clip," Shepard said bluntly cutting her off.

"And get away with it." Cass finished off looking at Mal questionably.

"Sounds like Doc Christ of the Boots and Butterflies brigade," Mal said with slight surprise.

"Because she is Doc Christ. She's also Staff Sargent Christ."

"Who?" Jayne asked from the couch.

"Christ was everything we needed in our brigade," Shepard said sitting in one of the chairs. "Started as medic, became honorary cook when we came off first tour. We teased her about being the youngest mother in the army. Got promoted to Staff Sargent about two days into Tranquility."

"She was the only one who was in command from that point," Cass said. "Everyone else was dead."

"Weren't you all stranded there for five days after you won?" Mal was curious.

"Weeks. We all had about two days-worth of rations as a group. We raided the fallen and that turned into a week and a half. Seren worked her magic and she turned that into enough to last us just long enough, not all of it stew," Cass finished.

"She's a mother?" Jane looked confused.

"She's never had any kids, but she treated us like we were her own." Shepard explained to him. "In the field, when things were at a stand still on either side, some of the younger soldiers would practically cuddle up in her lap and call her "mom." She got kind of a kick from up above to just go with it."

"What happened to her?" Mal interrupted.

"She got shot on Shadow few days ago," Shepard said.

"Shadow? What happened?"

"Fire fight. Shot by Alliance supporters."

Mal winced and looked back to Serenity. Thinking back on the war and all the things that had happened during it he remembered the Battle of Serenity. He thought of how they had been left there waiting for medical ships for three days. He couldn't imagine waiting five weeks. "If I remember correctly, she's one hell of a lady."

"Does also have a tendency to be a bit reckless. Has, on more than one occasion, started a fight with a drunk on U-day."

Simon exited the infirmary with his apron still on. "She's going to be okay. I suggest bed rest but she's still unconscious right now."

Mal thought a moment and then turned to the crew of Tranquility. "Do we need to keep locked onto your ship?"

Shepard looked to Cass and back. "No, I don't think we need to. The engine can't be repaired. We don't have the coin to replace it."

"Then we'll diss-attach from her," Wash said going back to the command deck.

"We're gonna check out the scow. See if there's anything worth anything," Mal explained to Cass who nodded.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The Firefly docked up with the scow and the crews split up: Tranquility headed down to the infirmary. Simon grabbed his med kit and headed for the cargo bay. He stopped when he saw the gear Mal and Zoey were strapping on.

Jayne came up behind him. "Where d' you think you're headed."

Simon pulled his kit to his chest. "Thought I'd offer my services." Jayne walked in front of him and turned. "In case anyone on board required medical attention."

Jayne looked to Mal and Zoey saying, "Well, cap'n and Zoey are goin' in first. We'll hollar if we need you." He shouldered his gun and watched Simon's discomfort. "Something wrong?"

"Hm? Oh! No, no, I-I- I suppose it's just the thought of a little Mylar and glass being the only thing separating a person from... nothing."

"It's impressive what nothing can do to a man," Jayne was clearly pleased with the turn of the conversation. "Like that fella we bumped into." Simon looked at him. "He likely stuck under our belly about now. 'S what space trash does, latches on the first big somethin' stops long enough." Jayne made a face like he had a thought. "Hey, now. That'd be a bit like you and your sister, wouldn't it?" He cocked his gun and walked away, leaving a terrified Simon in his wake.

Simon turned around and saw Cass looking at him. "Hey, Doc? Serens' looking like she might wake. Your sister's with her."

He nodded and went back to the infirmary. "River?" She was standing next to the sleeping warrior woman with a smile on her face.

"It's okay. All shiny now," River said smiling innocently to her brother.

"River, will you go wait in your room? I need to check Miss Christ and then I'll come see you." River only nodded and glided out of the room. Simon donned his gloves and began taking Serenity's pulse.

Serenity stored from her slumber. "Cold."

"Sorry about that. My name is Simon. What's your name?"

"Captain Doctor Serenity M. Christ, Boots and Butterfly's. Firefly class Tranquility."

"Good, can you tell me how you got here?"

"Something hit us in the ass."

"Yes. I'm going to give you something for the pain and then I'll leave you be." He gave her a shot to the neck and told Cass to let him know if Serenity became in pain again. After he headed up to see his sister.


End file.
